10 Horrific Deaths That Happened While Filming a Movie

Vin Diesel in a scene in the 2002 film "xXx." Murray Close/Getty Images

Skydiving takes equal parts daring and attention to detail. Harry O'Connor possessed both in abundance and turned his fascination for parachuting from airplanes into a career. His credits as stuntman and aerial coordinator ranged from the '90s films "The Perfect Storm" to "Charlie's Angels" and "Tomorrow Never Dies [source: IMBd.com].

In 2002, his expertise brought him to Prague, Czech Republic, for the Vin Diesel film "xXx." One stunt was particularly exacting: O'Connor would parasail along the Vltava River, pulled by a speedboat toward the Palacky Bridge. He would pass under the bridge with inches to spare, then drop onto a submarine while the parachute, for dramatic effect, crashed against the bridge railing. O'Connor filmed the stunt several times, performing it to a tee. Yet, he felt one more attempt could be better. He was wrong. On his last take, O'Connor's judgment was slightly off, and he slammed into one of the bridge's stone pillars [source: Oldenburg]. He was 45 years old.